Scholarship Spotlight: Ngozi Agomo

Strategy for Success

Ngozi Agomo had a change of heart when it came time to consider a career in broadcast journalism. After a year of AmeriCorps service in Houston, she decided that it was time for graduate school. She wanted a graduate program that would allow her to use her undergraduate education and advance her dream of being an entrepreneur while serving her community.

Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) caught her attention. She decided to pursue a graduate degree in this discipline because it would allow her to use her undergraduate education in concert with her creativity. Today, she calls it a “perfect fit” for her future.

Agomo initially thought she wanted to attend another university, but when she completed her research on graduate IMC programs in Chicago, she chose Roosevelt. Having the opportunity to experience graduate school in a diverse setting was important. According to Agomo, “There are more people in the program that look like me.” She also determined that Roosevelt’s IMC curriculum was “more complete and well-rounded.”

The last part was important. Agomo will tell you that there are many roads you can travel down with a graduate degree in IMC, including advertising, public relations and strategic planning. She determined that attending Roosevelt would allow her to explore more of those roads and help her fine-tune what she was passionate about professionally. Her passion for serving her community was already there, something that is common in the lives of all Rooseveltians.

She was shocked when she learned that she had been selected to receive Roosevelt’s Al Golin Scholarship in Communications. She and her family are grateful for this opportunity. With younger siblings now in college, the news couldn’t have come at a better time. Her hard work was starting to pay off. This recognition and support were integral in propelling her toward her upcoming December 2015 graduation.

Her benefactor’s name immediately caught her attention. When Agomo told the former news director at Illinois State University, she confirmed that this scholarship was “a big deal.” “If you know anything about public relations and marketing, when you hear the name Golin (a Roosevelt alumnus and founder of the international public relations firm Golin), you know what it’s about, here and globally,” said Agomo proudly.

For Agomo, the class that opened her eyes widest was Brand Planning and Message Strategy with Stewart Young. “This is what he does in his full-time career. He was able to bring real-life examples from work into the classroom. He would ask us to give him feedback on what he’s doing at work and that’s so cool.” Before Young’s class, she admittedly wasn’t fully aware of all the strategy and planning that surrounds brand creation and development. Now, she simply can’t get enough.

“For me, it’s about encouraging and empowering people, not just women, to live healthier and happier lifestyles.”

The area of public relations also garnered Agomo’s attention. She took Principles of Public Relations over the summer with Rashada Whitehead. “I could listen to her for hours,” said Agomo. Whitehead’s ability to connect theory with practical application in today’s workplace resonated strongly with Agomo. “A lot of professors at this university do that,” she said with a smile.

Agomo is currently working as a marketing intern at The Joint Commission, which accredits and certifies more than 20,500 health care organizations in the United States. Previously, she worked as an intern for another Roosevelt communications graduate, China Panion, handling social media and event planning in a health and wellness organization dedicated to empowering women to improve their health.

“For me, it’s about encouraging and empowering people, not just women, to live healthier and happier lifestyles,” Agomo said. Now her ultimate goal is to own her own business. Stay tuned. The rest of this remarkable young woman’s story is going to be exciting and productive.

Would you like to help a student like Ngozi Agomo?

There are many ways to support Roosevelt students, including establishing a named scholarship. For information, visit www.roosevelt.edu/giving or call the Office of Institutional Advancement at (312) 341-4327.

Feature 2, Scholarship Spotlight, Spring 2015

Spotlight On: Corinne Busby

From basketball to biology

Corinne Busby initially came to Roosevelt to play varsity basketball. She also liked the fact that Roosevelt has an excellent academic reputation and is in Chicago, yet close to her Arlington Heights home. She also discovered that her late grandfather, Arthur Busby, was a 1952 Roosevelt graduate who majored in Labor Relations.

When Busby started her studies, she was undecided about what her major should be. However, in her first-year seminar class, Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology Melissa Sisco encouraged Busby to take an independent study course. Busby decided to volunteer at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago as part of that course experience. At the same time, she was taking a biology class with Kelly Wentz-Hunter, associate professor of biology. The combination of her daily work at the Rehabilitation Institute and the classwork in biology made her realize that she wanted to pursue a career in physical therapy, so she decided to major in Biology.

One experience that had a lasting effect on Busby was a class visit to a cadaver lab. The Roosevelt junior is currently employed as a part-time rehabilitation aide at Athletico, a physical therapy center located in Chicago’s East Bank Club. She is able to put what she learns in the classroom into practice every day as she walks clients through their rehab exercise programs. She reinforces her anatomy classwork by observing how the body works and how systems within the body relate to each other.

She is able to put what she learns in the classroom into practice every day as she walks clients through their rehab exercise programs.

She has particularly enjoyed classes with Wentz-Hunter and Norbert Cordeiro, associate professor of biology. About their teaching style, she states, “They love their job and what they teach. They keep you engaged in class. When someone loves something, it’s easier to learn from them and it makes you want to do your best.” Busby would like to participate in Cordeiro’s and Wentz- Hunter’s study-abroad class in which biology students travel to Tanzania to study conservation efforts, issues of poverty and the complexities of one of the world’s most important forests.

During her freshman and sophomore years, Busby played basketball for the Roosevelt Lakers. She appreciated the team-building, communications and time management skills she learned while juggling a rigorous academic and athletic schedule. “My day planner was and is my best friend,” she said with a chuckle.

With her biology studies, her job at Athletico and another job as a Roosevelt grader, she has little free time. When she does have a few moments to herself, she likes to spend time with her family, attending her high-school-aged brother’s games and playing with her nephew. She also appreciates the value of a good nap.

After graduation, Busby plans to pursue a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree, which typically takes three years to complete. When asked if she has advice for other students, she said, “Don’t give up. There are times when you want to quit because financial struggles and academic pressures can be huge. But you need to keep trying!”

Would you like to help a student like Corinne Busby?

There are many ways to support Roosevelt students, including establishing a named scholarship. For information, visit roosevelt.edu/giving or call the Office of Institutional Advancement at (312) 341-4327.

Fall 2014, Feature 3, Scholarship Spotlight

For the Love of Literature: Scholarship Spotlight on Frank Westry

Frank Westry came to Roosevelt University because he was looking for an excellent English program. But he was also influenced by his mother, alumna Martha R. Rice, who earned a Bachelor of Professional Studies degree in 2009 with a concentration in psychology. Her experience at Roosevelt was so transformative and welcoming that she persuaded her son to attend.

Westry has a love for literature. He is a prolific reader who enjoys the works of Toni Morrison, Arthur Conan Doyle, Oscar Wilde and Robert Louis Stevenson. Westry also admires books by Malcolm Gladwell because the author addresses how we think as human beings, and he admires Mary Wollstonecraft, an 18th Century feminist philosopher who advocated for women’s rights.

Westry believes that literature can impact one’s life because it teaches and entertains at the same time. Roosevelt has helped him hone his writing skills and increase his understanding of the importance of good writing. The Roosevelt English major works at putting his skills into action by serving as a tutor in the University’s Writing Center, which helps students become better writers. This experience will serve him well as he wants to go on to graduate school and eventually teach at the high school level.

One of Westry’s favorite quotes is from Martin Luther King, Jr. who, when addressing the purpose of education, said, “The function of education, therefore, is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. But education which stops with efficiency may prove the greatest menace to society.”

Along with his mother, he gives credit to two professors, Ellen O’Brien and Carrie Brecke, whose outlook and encouragement have given him a positive attitude on life, education and the importance of the written word. Westry feels that during his time at Roosevelt, he has been challenged and grown academically.

Westry enjoys traveling and would like to do more of it in the future so he can observe different cultures. London, where Shakespeare founded his Globe Theatre, is near the top of his list. He wouldn’t mind locating to a warmer climate so he has included Hawaii on that list, too.

“The function of education, therefore, is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. But education which stops with efficiency may prove the greatest menace to society.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

When he isn’t working in the Writing Center or at Hertz Rent-a-Car, Westry enjoys playing pool, especially in pool halls. Playing and watching basketball – he’s a Bulls fan – and working on jigsaw puzzles – the more pieces the better – are some of his other interests.

When asked what advice he would give to his fellow students, he said, “Always be ready to learn. It should never stop. And, don’t be afraid to come to the Writing Center!”

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